Guiding Lights
by TenshiNoAkuma
Summary: It doesn't matter whether Shulk had been alive or dead during the fourteen years in Colony 9; the memories shared with his friends are the proof of his existence. A story of Shulk's childhood in Colony 9 and the years beyond. Latest - Shulk meets Reyn under bad circumstances.
1. Prologue

**Author's Note:** A one-shot that expanded into something a little too long to be a one-shot. I hope you enjoy this leisurely ambling story!

* * *

"Dickson! Good to see you made it back in one piece."

Dunban leans against the wall, arms folded as he watches some of the other Defence Force soldiers unload goods from two heavily laden pack Armus under Dickson's instruction. Dickson always brings back all sorts of strange things from his travels, but this is the first time Dunban's seen him with two armus worth. Dunban tends to leave all this technical stuff to Dickson, so he regards all this in only passing interest; Dunban isn't one for research. On a day as good as this, Dunban can usually be found training - building his strength and stamina - rather than in a lab where so many of the Equipment Research and Development scientists spend their days. Even Dickson, who gets out more than all the other scientists put together, has his days when he just doesn't set foot outside.

Dickson doesn't even turn around when he replies in his usual gruff tone, "If you've got enough energy to yammer away, you've got enough energy to help out."

Laughing, Dunban walks forward to stand beside Dickson, not exactly helping just yet. Not that he can help even if he felt like it; there are other Defence Force soldiers in the way. Meanwhile, Dunban casts his gaze over the Armus, patiently standing still while Homs fuss around them. All the goods carried by the Armus are in some kind of bag or packaged away in a crate, making it difficult to determine their specifics. Dickson's past trips usually resulted in new ether cylinders and machinery for the Equipment R&D Department, so Dunban suspects this trip is no different. Nevertheless, he still asks, "Did you find anything interesting?"

The ghost of a smirk flickers across Dickson's face. "…You could say I did." He nods in the direction of a long, flat box being carried off into the Weapons Development Lab. "A real interesting weapon from a tower on the Bionis' shoulder." He turns to face Dunban. "I got lucky. When I entered, I found everyone in the previous expedition dead."

"Dead?" A frown crosses Dunban's face and his hand goes to his chin. "What from?"

Dickson just shakes his head and shrugs. "Who knows? They looked starved, but they still had food in their packs. No injuries, either. I wasn't about to wait around to find out what did them in."

An unknown enemy is much more difficult to fight than a known one. Given how Dickson often travelled solo, it had been a reasonable decision. Dunban doesn't say anything for a long moment, but when it becomes clear Dickson isn't going to say any more, he verbally prods his older friend, grinning. "So, are you going to tell me about this new weapon?"

Dickson lets out a short bark of laughter that sounds more like a cackle than anything else. "You'll see for yourself soon enough." Dunban can see the side of a wide smirk, even as Dickson turns his head away to keep an eye on two Defense Force soldiers carrying something bulky away. "I might even let you be the first one to try swinging it around."

Given the past attempts to wheedle Dickson into things - all of which had ended in miserable failure full of regrets - Dunban doesn't attempt wheedling Dickson into showing him the weapon _now_. Sholders slumping, Dunban's gaze wanders, eventually falling onto a small child, who is peering around one of the Armu's hind legs. Even at this distance, Dunban can see that the child's looking around, eyes wide in awe. Children aren't allowed in the Military District, and the fact no one else seems to have spotted the child causes a frown to flit across his face. It just isn't safe for a kid of that age to be playing around Armus, domesticated or not.

Leaving Dickson's side without a word - Dickson seems preoccupied right now anyway - Dunban approaches the child, who quickly hides behind the Armu's leg as soon as he spots Dunban's approach. As Dunban draws nearer, he can see the child is a boy dressed in colony clothing that hangs loose at the arms and legs. While the boy quietly peers out from behind the Armu leg, curiosity getting the better of him, Dunban observes how his light blonde hair catches in the sun and how pale he looks compared to the Homs living in Colony 9. Seeing the slight tremble running through the boy's body, Dunban crouches and speaks in a gentler voice than usual. "Hey... Kids aren't allowed in the Military District, you know. Have you lost your way home?"

The child shrinks away and silently shakes his head, eyes wide.

"Oh yeah," Dickson calls out, causing Dunban to turn his head in response. Dickson isn't even looking at them as he speaks; he's too busy gesturing to give directions to where the Defence Force soldiers should take the next batch of goods. "Found this kid in that tower. He was the only survivor from that expedition before me." Dickson pauses and glances up at the clear blue sky, exhaling in a half sigh. "I just couldn't leave him there to die like his parents did."

Dunban arches an eyebrow, amusement in his voice. "Getting soft, are you?" Dickson may be gruff, but Dunban's seen him provide services to strangers… albeit often at a price. Would he leave a child to die? Unlikely. But it's more likely for Dickson to leave the child with someone else rather than bring him all the way back to Colony 9. Dunban's attention goes back to the child, who's gone back to half hiding behind the Armu's leg. "It's all very well to save a child..." he says more seriously, standing to properly address Dickson, "but what will you do with him?"

Dickson waves a hand dismissively. "I dunno. Maybe I'll keep him around. Kid took apart my telescope while I was asleep, once."

Trying hard not laugh at the mental image of this shy boy rummaging through Dickson's things while he was snoring away - his amusement shows up as a grin twitching at the corner of his mouth anyway - Dunban says, "You couldn't have been happy about that."

"Yeah, I yelled at him." Of course. Dickson starts gesturing vaguely with his right hand as he speaks. "And then the next day he gives it back to me the same way it had been before he took it!"

Dunban glances back at the child. "You mean he fixed your telescope after he broke it?"

Dickson shoots Dunban a frown, impatience lining his next words. "You've got to clean out your ears. I never said he broke it. He dismantled it, like what you see us do in the lab."

To be honest, Dunban isn't certain which one is more impressive; his incorrect assumption or the actual truth. Dunban's competent enough at using machinery, but the only way he knows how to take apart something is to break it. So for a child at such a young age to be able to both take apart something and fix it… Now he can see why Dickson has brought the boy back to Colony 9; Dickson has always been complaining he needs an extra set of reliable hands around the lab, something difficult to come by, when the other scientists have their own research projects to focus on. Still… Dunban's a little sceptical; Dickson may be a good friend but he's just having a difficult time imagining Dickson raising a child. A _really_difficult time.

Trying not to think too much about what it'd be like to have Dickson as a father figure, Dunban asks, "Does he have a name?"

Dickson shrugs. "I haven't the foggiest. I don't think the kid knows, either. I figure _someone_ around here'll give him one."

Dunban glances uneasily down at the boy while Dickon's attention is back on the unloading. Is it really going to be okay, leaving this child in Dickon's sole care? His instincts tell him _no_ but he's not about to take the boy from Dickon's guardianship either, especially when he has Fiora to look after, too. Patting the boy on the head - causing him to make a small whining sound - Dunban nevertheless makes a silent promise for the years to come.

_I'll look out for you, too._

* * *

**Canon Notes:** Dunban was likely a soldier in the Defence Force for longer than 12 years before canon (this prologue being set 14 years before), as evidenced in the pink Heart-to-Heart between Dunban and Sharla, _Revisiting the Past_, where Dunban mentions he got an earful from Vangarre after the Mechon attack 12 years ago.

In the green Heart-to-Heart between Dunban and Sharla, _A Gift for a Loved One_, in response to Sharla calling Fiora and Shulk a handful in one of the dialogue trees, Dunban says, "They were and they still are. I'm Fiora's guardian AND I have to keep an eye on Shulk."


	2. Chapter 01

**Author's Note:** Thank you all for the reviews, favourites, follows and hits! I've given the Prologue a bit more meat since its initial publication, so I encourage you to check out the new version. I'll also be adding short canon notes at the end of each chapter; they'll contain the specific bits of canon that I based the chapter on. I hope you enjoy this next instalment!

* * *

"Dickson? Are you in- Oh, Shulk! Have you seen the old man?"

Shulk looks up from his work in progress - a simple mechanical toy - hand still holding a small screwdriver. Leaning against the doorframe is Dunban, one of the first people he'd met when he first arrived in Colony 9 not so long ago. All Shulk knows about him over the year and a bit since his arrival is that Dunban is very strong and that Dunban is Dickson's friend. Shulk's eyes go to the ceiling as he tries to recall what Dickson had said before he had left the lab. "Um... I think he's gone on a trip?"

"I see." Dunban usually leaves after finding out Dickson's stepped outside. Sometimes Dunban talks to Shulk, but it's never for long. So when the conversation doesn't continue, Shulk hunches over and finishes screwing in a metal plate over the back of his toy. It's only when he holds the toy up to the light to inspect his handiwork that Shulk notices Dunban still lingering, looking thoughtfully at him. After a moment of hesitation, Shulk lowers his toy and gives his attention to Dunban again, who asks, "Are you alright here on your own, Shulk?"

Nodding his head, Shulk answers, "I'm okay."

It isn't the first time he's been left alone while Dickson's gone off for a few hours. Dickson always leaves enough money for him to buy what he needs from the Commercial District. Dickson had described his trip as being "just a bit longer" than those times. Shulk's fine with that; he has plenty to do while Dickson's away. Even though Shulk isn't originally from Colony 9 - his memories of his mother and father are dim at best - the people have readily welcomed him into the community, obligingly showing him their little knick-knacks and explaining what they're doing once they figured out Shulk's interest in, well, _everything_, really.

"That's not what I meant." Dunban's brow creases and he shifts his weight so he isn't leaning on the doorframe any more. "Would you like to have dinner with my family? It's just my sister and I, but you shouldn't be left like this."

Shulk hesitates. Despite the Colony accepting him into its community, he still spends most of his time in the lab, so he hasn't had much interaction with other people. When he's in the lab, people tend to speak to Dickson. When he's out in the Commercial District with Dickson, Dickson does most of the speaking while Shulk holds his hand so he doesn't get left behind. When he's out on his own in the Colony, only adults speak to him, but never for very long; they have their own business to attend to. A dinner with people without Dickson... that's something unfamiliar to him.

"Is that... okay?" When Dunban nods, Shulk adds, "Is it okay with your sister?"

Dunban nods again. "I'm sure she'll like you."

Shulk offers an uncertain smile while he thinks, hand going to his chin. Though the unfamiliarity of the situation is a little frightening, Shulk knows Dunban is Dickson's good friend; he only has to look at their laidback demeanours when they're in each others' presence. So he trusts in Dunban and his reassuring words, nodding in acceptance. "Okay. I'll come."

* * *

It turns out Dunban's sister doesn't like him at all at first.

When he arrives at Dunban's house, Shulk doesn't know what to make of Dunban's sister. Not only had he been expecting someone with dark hair like Dunban's instead of her blonde, he'd also been expecting someone older instead of a girl his age. Since he's been interacting with people older than him all this time, Shulk's not certain how he should behave around Dunban's sister, but he tries anyway; Dunban is important to Dickson, so Shulk shouldn't disappoint him. Giving her his best smile, Shulk holds out his hand for a handshake he's seen so many adults do.

She ignores the hand, though, and turns away. His smile falters.

Stepping in, Dunban makes the introductions. "Shulk, this is my sister, Fiora. Fiora, this is Shulk." Dunban crouches - Shulk's reminded of the time he'd first met Dunban - so he's at eye-level while speaking to Fiora. "Shulk will be staying for dinner, so be nice, okay?"

Fiora huffs. "You didn't tell me he was coming." There's an annoyed frown on her face, an expression much like the one people wear after discovering they've stepped in Bunnit poop. Shulk's glad Fiora's glare is directed at Dunban, not him. "I don't have enough to make dinner for three."

Dunban's usual straight-backed posture slackens slightly as he says, "Sorry, Fiora," while sheepishly scratching the back of his head. "I should have asked you earlier."

His apology clearly isn't acceptable to her, though, and she huffs again, crossing her arms. Shulk's starting to wonder if it would have been better if he'd just stayed home instead of agreeing to Dunban's invitation. But… he's already here, and before he knows what he's doing, Shulk blurts out, "I'll get what you need."

She looks at him for the first time in the afternoon. "You?" At first, her eyes are wide in incredulity. Then she loosely curls a hand in front of her, uncertain. "You shouldn't. Dunban brought you." She shoots a sidelong glance at Dunban, eyebrows pinched together in a frown. "_Dunban_ should do it."

Shulk's used to seeing Dunban being berated by Dickson - and Dunban usually laughs it off - but seeing him being told off by a girl Shulk's age is quite a different experience; he's never seen Dunban look _embarrassed_ before. Shulk tries not to laugh, shaking his head instead; it's no trouble at all. "I want to help."

Fiora opens her mouth to speak, but Dunban smoothly cuts her off and says, "I'll go with him." Grinning, he adds, "Leave it to us!"

She hesitates before running off to grab a pencil and paper. Scribbling quickly, Fiora folds the paper and hands it to Dunban. "This is all I need." Putting her entire body into it, Fiora shoves Dunban out the door. "Go on! Go!"

Dunban obliges, putting up little resistance, while Shulk trails after him. Once they're out the door, Fiora stops pushing Dunban and when he glances back, Shulk can see that Fiora's opted to stay by the house's entrance and wave them off rather than follow them out into the Commercial District. It's a bright and sunny day, which had been something Shulk had taken weeks to adjust to; he remembers the time before Colony 9 as cold. But while warm weather like this had once seemed searing hot, now he has a hard time imagining anything other than the blue sky and gentle breeze of Colony 9. Unlike Dickson, Dunban adjusts his strides so their walk is at a pace that Shulk can easily keep up with. Once they've travelled a fair distance from the house - Shulk can hear the familiar sound of merchants hollering their wares - Dunban breaks the silence between them and says, "I apologize for Fiora's behaviour. She's just not used to having others in the house. She'll come around."

Shulk shakes his head before nodding. "What do we need?"

Dunban silently holds out the scrap of paper Fiora had given him for Shulk to take. Pulling it out of Dunban's hand and unfolding it, Shulk smooths out the creases in the page before reading it. Or, more accurately, attempting to read it; the writing is a scrawl so messy Shulk can't tell whether he's holding the page upside down or the right way up. He looks up at Dunban. "It's hard to read."

Laughing, Dunban takes the paper back. "It's alright to say it's bad. Writing is not my sister's strength."

Luckily, Dunban is able to decipher Fiora's handwriting and reads it aloud for Shulk as they walk towards the Commercial District's ether light. Most of what's on the list are vegetables and are easily found; they buy most of it from a Nopon merchant. There's a moment when Shulk is uncertain who should pay for the goods, but Dunban solves his dilemma by paying first. At the very least, Shulk helps carry the bags of goods, albeit only the lighter ones. However, the last and most important ingredient on the list is an entire Bunnit. There's one shop that Shulk has seen Dickson buy whole Bunnits for cooking from, and it's the same shop Dunban makes a beeline for.

When they arrive, they're greeted by the shopkeeper, a dark woman with a sharp cleaver hanging off her belt who Shulk _still_ can't remember the name of. "Dunban!" And leaning over the counter, she adds, "Shulk! Not with Dickson today?"

Shulk shakes his head, tightening his grip on his bag of groceries. "He's on a trip."

"That man..." The shopkeeper sighs. "Doesn't he know better than to leave a child on their own?" Glancing at Dunban, she continues, "I know he's your friend, but..."

Dunban shakes his head. "I'm not bothered. I know what the old man's like."

She straightens, wiping the annoyed expression from her face before giving them a smile. "Well, I'm glad you're here to look after him, Dunban. What're you two after?"

It doesn't take long for the pair to walk away with a small Bunnit, Dunban carrying it in one hand with groceries in the other. It takes a little while longer for the pair to arrive back at Dunban and Fiora's house, Bunnit and groceries in tow. Fiora greets them with a wave and holds open the door so they can enter without much trouble. "Did you get everything?"

Shulk nods. While Dunban puts his groceries and Bunnit on the kitchen table before taking Shulk's load, he says, "There's some Cute Parsnip for you in the little bag."

"Really?" The excitement is almost visible in Fiora's voice.

"Would your brother lie to you?"

Fiora doesn't answer that, pulling over a short stool so she can reach the kitchen counter instead. She _does_ check the 'little bag' - Dunban sends Shulk a mock despairing look that says "My sister doesn't trust me at all!" - and nearly squeals when she sees that yes, there are indeed Cute Parsnips in there. "You're the best, Dunban!"

Shulk just watches a small smile spread across Dunban's face before his attention goes back to Fiora, who's clearing a space on the kitchen counter for the Bunnit. His eyes widen when he sees Fiora easily move the Bunnit, stretching it out over the kitchen counter. He doesn't notice the knife in her hand until she starts cutting into the Bunnit's flesh…

Blanching, Shulk quickly turns around. It's one thing to be cutting bits of meat but quite another thing when the meat still looks like the animal it had come from. Already, his stomach's feeling queasy. He can hear Dunban's laugh before Dunban walks past, hand beckoning Shulk over as he starts up the stairs to the next floor. "I can see you don't stay in the kitchen when Dickson is cooking. Come with me."

He obediently follows Dunban upstairs, eyes taking in this new room. It's neat and orderly, a stark contrast to Shulk's only messy space. While the room and its contents are unremarkable for the most part, Shulk's attention is caught by the swords on display, which Shulk stares at for longer than he means to. Dunban takes one down from the display and half draws it from its scabbard to show Shulk. It's a long, sleek weapon with a narrow blade, much like the one currently at Dunban's waist. "I don't suppose you see this kind of blade down at the lab very often, do you?"

Shulk shakes his head. Most of what he sees in the lab is more mechanical. "It looks simple." There are no moving parts to Dunban's weapon. Shulk can't think of any reason someone would take a weapon like that to the lab.

At those words, Dunban smirks - something Shulk's only used to seeing when he has the upper hand over Dickson - and places the sword back on its display. Unfastening the sword that's been at his hip all this time, Dunban pulls up a chair to sit on and rests the sword across his knees. "It may appear simple compared to other weapons in the Defence Force, but its complexity is in its forging." Dunban draws the sword using his right hand. "Like those weapons, mine must be properly maintained, or it will not perform as well."

Shulk nods, understanding; the little devices he makes stop working when he forgets to take care of them. So, "What do you do?"

"Well…" Dunban shows Shulk the cloth and oils he uses for maintaining his weapon. In fact, Dunban is quite happy to talk about weapons and explaining the process of maintaining his sword while he cleans it. Shulk doesn't mind listening; he had no idea there could be so much to weapons without moving parts! Without Shulk even noticing how long they've been talking, nearly an hour of conversation and observation passes before the most delicious aroma drifts up to the first floor. By this time, the sun has begun to set, its light painting the insides of the house in pastel pinks and oranges. Curious, Shulk peers down at the kitchen through the upstairs railings. The dead Bunnit is, thankfully, out of sight, replaced by Fiora stirring a steaming pot of stew while dribbling sauce over vegetables on a separate plate. Looking back at Dunban, Shulk says, "I'm going down."

After an acknowledging nod from Dunban, Shulk slips downstairs and quietly takes a seat at the dining table, leaning on the back of the chair to watch Fiora cook. He's only seen people in the Commercial District cook for their customers, and like those chefs, Fiora treats the kitchen like she's in total control over everything in it. He breathes in the scent of the food and after a few minutes of the heavenly aroma, Shulk's stomach gives a hungry growl.

Fiora doesn't even spare a glance at him when she commands him to, "Go set the table. It'll be done in a minute."

Set the table...? Shulk looks over at Dunban, who's coming down the stairs, for help. Shulk's never 'set the table' before; often he and Dickson simply eat dinner on the table that has all of Dickson's lab work. Laughing, Dunban beckons Shulk over. "Come along. I'll help."

Reluctantly, Shulk leaves his seat and wanders over to Dunban, who's already in the kitchen and opening a drawer from the benchtop. The drawer is a little too high for Shulk to see inside, but Dunban passes three pairs of forks and spoons down to him. Shulk waits for Dunban to finish pulling out three plates and three bowls from other cupboards before returning to the dining table.

After he places a plate onto the table, Dunban gestures over to the left side of it. "Place the fork on the left side and the spoon on the right."

While Shulk climbs up onto the chairs so he can properly see the top of the table to place the cutlery, Dunban places the remaining two plates and three bowls. Gentle light bathes the room when Dunban turns on the ether lamps in the room. By the time Shulk's done setting the table, Dunban's already back by the kitchen counter just as Fiora sings out, "It's ready!"

Without even needing instruction, Dunban takes the large plate of vegetables over to the table while Fiora hops down from her stool and puts it away. As Dunban then pours out the stew into a large bowl to place on the centre of the table, Fiora slips into the chair opposite Shulk and breathes in, making a small sound of satisfaction. Now that she's in a better mood, he makes another attempt to talk to Fiora, smiling. "It smells good!"

In stark contrast to her behaviour in the afternoon, Fiora beams at him. "Thanks! I hope you like it!" In fact, she pushes the plate of vegetables towards him so it's within his reach. Shulk can't identify the specific vegetables used in the dish; he's already forgotten what Fiora had asked Dunban and him to buy, and they all look the same to him: green and leafy. "Here, take some."

To be honest, Shulk would much rather take the stew than the vegetables… But there really is no room for him to refuse, so he takes a small portion of the vegetables. Before he eats them, though, he holds out his bowl for Dunban to fill with the Bunnit stew. The fragrant aroma from the stew is enough to make his mouth water - he closes his eyes for a moment to enjoy it - but under Fiora's expectant stare, Shulk stops putting off the inevitable and takes a bite from one of the vegetables on his plate…

Shulk struggles to keep his disgust at the vegetables off his face, taking a spoonful of Bunnit stew to drown the taste out. It's not that Fiora's cooking is bad, but the texture and flavour is gross! Unfortunately for him, there's still plenty of vegetables on his plate, and Shulk isn't going to leave any behind; living with Dickson has taught him that he's not allowed to be fussy over his food. At the very least, the vegetables go down a lot more easily when eaten together with the delicious Bunnit stew.

"Do you like it?" Fiora's expression is anxious.

He likes the stew with the Bunnit meat; the Bunnit meat is tender and juicy, melting in his mouth like butter on fresh toast. The vegetables, on the other hand... Yuck. But he shouldn't complain. Dunban had taken the time to invite him over and talk to him, while Fiora had taken the trouble of cooking for him on short notice. He's grateful to the two siblings. So Shulk smiles and says, "It's great."

"Really?" The smile Fiora sends him is the happiest he's seen her all night and Shulk can't help mirroring it; it's difficult _not_ to when her entire face lights up with joy.

He nods. "Yeah."

The three finish their dinner over quiet conversation, appreciating the good food. Most of the conversation revolves around Dunban and Fiora talking about the mundane, but enjoyable, things they did during the day - Shulk is content to listen; he can tell the two are really close - but eventually Fiora asks him how he knows Dunban, a tale he doesn't mind telling... until Dunban embellishes it with an embarrassing amount of gusto. By the time they finish, Shulk is so full he feels like he's about to explode, yet there's still half the bowl of stew and a small portion of vegetables left. It's rare for him and Dickson to have leftovers - Dickson only cooks Bunnit when there are enough people joining them for dinner to finish the meal - so he asks Dunban, "What will you do with the rest?"

Dunban stands - albeit with some effort, like he's reluctant to rise after eating so much - and reaches for the half empty bowl of stew, holding it easily in one hand, while carrying the plate of vegetables in the other. "It's far too much for us to finish, so we'll give it to our Nopon neighbour."

Fiora turns to Shulk. "Do you want to come with us?"

Shulk hesitates for a moment before he nods. "Okay."

* * *

**Canon Notes: **At this point in time, it's very likely Dunban and Fiora's mother was already dead; she was no longer alive 12 years before canon, as mentioned in the pink Heart-to-Heart between Dunban and Sharla, _Revisiting the Past_. As far as I know, there's no mention in canon about their father.

In the green Heart-to-Heart between Dunban and Riki, _In Ose Tower_, Dunban mentions, "I'm possibly the worst cook on Bionis, apart from Reyn." Gifting Cute Parsnip to Fiora nets 2 affinity hearts. It's also mentioned in the green Heart-to-Heart between Dunban and Sharla, _A Gift for a Loved One_ that Shulk doesn't like vegetables. Most vegetables gifted to Shulk will lower affinity by 1 heart, though 10 out of 36 vegetable class collectables result in affinity gain of 1 heart.

Lastly, shortly after Fiora's "death", there's a blue Nopon who wanders down the bridge that connects the Commercial District to the Central Plaza who misses Fiora because she used to give them tasty leftovers.


	3. Chapter 02

**Author's Notes:** Sorry for the extremely long wait; a great many changes happened in my life, which kept me busy. That said, I'm really glad people are enjoying this story! I hope you enjoy this chapter, too!

* * *

The first thing Shulk hears that morning is the wail of sirens.

His initial reaction is to burrow down further into his blankets, but a rough hand on his shoulder shakes him awake. "Get up, kid. We ain't got all day."

Sitting up, he sleepily rubs at his eyes. For once, Dickson's wearing his Defence Force armour. "What's going on?"

Dickson glances out the window, his weapon tapping against his shoulder. "A Mechon assault."

Shulk doesn't know what means, but he only has to see Dickson's narrowed eyes the serious look on Dickson's face to know it's not something good. He can hear a harsh, discordant metal screech, like metal blades being dragged over metal bright bursts of ether that make the unfamiliar shadows stalking past windows all the more prominent. His instinct is to curl up, make himself as small as possible, but Dickson grabs his arm and abruptly pulls him to his feet. Shulk stumbles, but he does manage to shakily stand. He's still dressed in his pyjamas, which are more like a loose shirt and pants, and the floor is cool under his bare feet.

"C'mon. Let's go." And Dickson's pulling him out the door, blasting something with his swordgun, Shulk stumbling after him as he tries to keep up.

Shulk has been out in the Commercial District at night before, but there's something terrifyingly wrong about it. Though he can't see smoke, he can definitely hear the sizzling of fires and the crunch of wood and concrete breaking. The Commercial District should have been dark, lit only by the ether lamp, the lights of the night owls living nearby, and the stars. But Shulk sees tiny red lights from machines unlike anything he's ever seen before. They're a harsh red, almost mesmerising in their gyration, menacing in their intensity. A mechanical whine, and Shulk sees the shadow of something spiked swing down at him. Flinching and covering his head with his hands, Shulk shuts his eyes and braces himself for the inevitable impact.

It never comes.

He opens his eyes. The metal of the Mechon's spiked arm screeches against Dickson's swordgun, sparks flying as it pushes him down. Shulk watches in fear, barely aware of the ground digging into his bare feet as he steps back.

"Damn Mechon!" Muscles straining, Dickson shoves hard, forcing the Mechon's arm aside before he fires a blast from his gun, the compressed ether striking the Mechon in the shoulder joint. The Mechon doesn't seem to react to the attack, no flinch, no vocalisation. It's just a machine, incapable of feeling pain, of feeling emotions. The Mechon's struck limb goes limp, but it swings with its other shorter arm. Firing another blast at the Mechon's feet, toppling it as its legs give out under it, Dickson turns back to face Shulk and holds out his free hand. "Hurry up! The Mechon ain't gonna wait for us to get away."

Shulk nods, and hurries over to Dickson, but gives a yelp of pain when he feels something sharp dig into the ball of his foot. He tries to keep going, but his movement is slowed significantly as he tries to avoid putting weight on that part of his foot. Frowning, Dickson crouches, gesturing with his free hand for Shulk to show him the injury. Balancing on one foot, Shulk lifts his other foot for Dickson to examine. There is a short metal spike is digging into it.

"This ain't gonna work." Dickson makes an irritated sound before he turns. "Climb on. Try not to put your weight on that foot." It's hard to avoid putting pressure that will drive the spike further into his foot, but Shulk manages to hop over and climb onto Dickson's back. He spares a glance back at Shulk before he says, "Hang on tight, kid."

Yelping when Dickson abruptly stands up, Shulk clings to him, squeezing shut his eyes and burying his face into Dickson's back. It's a bumpy ride filled with grunts from Dickson as he pushes through the attacking Mechon with blasts and swings from his weapon. Every time Shulk musters the courage to look, he sees those strange, mechanical beings swinging their deadly limbs - some sharp and curved, others blunt and spiked - at Dickson and himself, and quietly squeezes his eyes shut again, a tremble of fear running through his body. There's just so many of them and only one of Dickson.

What if Dickson gets hurt?

What if Dickson can't stop an attack because of him?

What if...?

As hard as he tries not to, Shulk can't stop paying close attention to the sounds he can hear. He can't block out those terrifying whirrs of aggressive mechanical joints and scrapes of metal against heavy metal punctuated by Dickson's grunts of exertion. It's a whirlwind that quietly becomes a blur of sound Shulk can't make head or tail of. He just focuses on not letting go of DIckson.

It takes him a while to realise Dickson's breakneck pace has slowed and the sound of metal has given way to Homs shouting.

"Alright, Shulk. We're here."

Shulk opens his eyes.

It's the shelter, a steel and concrete building built directly into the cliffside, accessible only through the Military District. There are Defence Force soldiers forming a protective line, shields of their weapons activated while the snipers behind them fire at the Mechon, the Colonel shouting orders at them. Other Defence Force soldiers are herding other Colony 9 residents into the shelter.

"You can let go now." Dickson crouches so Shulk can slide off his back. Shulk makes a small noise, muffled by the fact his mouth is firmly shut, when he forgets about the spike in his foot and puts weight on it. He immediately sits down on the nearby wooden bench. Shulk bites his lip, before asking the question that's been hovering at the front his mind until now. "What were those?"

Rising to his feet, Dickson answers Shulk's question with, "Mechon. Cold, soulless machines from Mechonis. They've always been attacking us Homs from the beginning." Shulk shrinks back as the shadows beneath Dickson's brow seem to grow even darker as he frowns. But it's gone by the time Dickson turns to fully face Shulk. "You stay here, alright? You'll be nice and safe here." Dickson smiles, a crooked one, but it's one that reaches his eyes nonetheless. "I can't have anything happen to you now, can I?"

Shulk doesn't want to leave Dickson's side, but his injured foot hurts hurts hurts, cutting off any thoughts of insisting Dickson take him. And he knows he isn't strong enough to fight. Not yet. Maybe not ever. His gaze briefly drops to the ground, before he raises it again. "But... What about you? What about Dunban and Fiora?"

Dickson smirks, loading his weapon with a new ether cartridge. "I've got some metalheads to bust. As for those two... They'll be making their way here. So you just sit tight and wait for them." Easily swinging his swordgun to rest against his shoulder, Dickson continues, "I'll be back in no time with a nice pile of scrap." Abruptly, Shulk stands to give Dickson a tight hug around the leg, ignoring the pain in his foot. A long moment passes before Dickson gently pats Shulk on the head. "Don't you worry. I ain't gonna go down that easy."

Letting go, Shulk nods. "Okay."

Dickson gives him a half wave. "Alright, I'm off." Turning to leave, he calls out to a small, yellow Nopon. "Hey, Mefimefi! Can you take a look at Shulk? He hurt his foot on the way here."

Shulk doesn't hear the Nopon's answer, sitting back down on the wooden bench to take the weight off his hurt foot. It doesn't matter much, because Mefimefi's soon waddling over to him, the signature cute Nopon smile on her face.

She bounces in place once before saying, "Show Mefimefi where it hurt."

He silently lifts the injured foot for her to see, a trickle of blood running down from the wound. Gently holding his foot with a wing, Mefimefi examines it, simultaneously taking out a cloth from her pockets to wipe the blood with her tiny hands. Without warning, she yanks the spike out of his foot, eliciting a startled yelp from Shulk. Reflexively, he tries to pull his foot away from her, but Mefimefi's wing has a firm hold on him.

"No worry," Mefimefi reassures him with a gentle coo, "Pain be gone soon."

Shulk can't see what she does next - her wings block his view - but he feels something like cool, refreshing air breathed onto his foot. The earlier pain subsides into a dull ache as he feels the skin knit back together.

Abruptly, the thin material of his pyjamas don't feel like they are enough to protect him from the chill. Now that his thoughts are no longer occupied by fear and panic, Shulk shivers. Though the press of people have made the shelter much warmer than it normally would, the steel and concrete surroundings are still cold.

"Is Shulk cold?" When he nods, the Nopon exclaims, "Mefimefi has nice warm fur so Mefimefi no notice! Wait here."

While Mefimefi waddles off, Shulk raises his injured foot so he can look at the sole. Where the skin had once been broken, it's now healed. He even prods at it experimentally, to see if there's any pain, but there's none. When he looks up, Mefimefi is approaching, a rolled up blanket held in one wing. She unrolls it in one deft flick of the wing and drapes it over Shulk's shoulders. Immediately, he tugs at the ends and pulls it around himself, cheek rubbing against the fabric.

"Does Shulk feel better?" When he nods, she asks, "Is Shulk's foot feeling better?"

Shulk nods again and wriggles his foot to show her; the pain he'd felt is almost a distant memory already. The yellow Nopon makes a pleased sound before giving him a hug. She's so soft and fluffy, that Shulk can't help but hug her back, nuzzling against her face fur. "Thank you."

He feels a little better after he lets go, and she gives him a gentle pat on the head with a wing - "Mefimefi go now, okay?" - before she wanders off to see to the other mildly injured. Now that he's calmer, he's in a better state of mind to observe this new place. There are several faces Shulk recognises - though he can't remember the names of most - and it's even more crowded than the Commercial District during the day. It seems like half the colony is here. However, he doesn't see Fiora, so he gets up - gingerly testing his previously injured foot - and wanders, both in search of her and out of a need to be doing something to stop worrying about Dickson, Dunban and Fiora.

He sees families. Many are parents attempting to comfort upset children. Some are jittery from anxiousness. Others have just curled up in an attempt to sleep. A number of children like himself are wandering around, kept under the watchful eyes of other adults. Only the low hum of conversation and the muffled sounds of the fighting outside can be heard through the shelter's thick steel and concrete walls. It's almost difficult to imagine that those strange, green mechanical creatures - _Mechon_ - are just outside, trying to hurt Homs. His hands tremble.

It's just...

It's only when he hears a sudden ruckus nearby that Shulk's attention is dragged away from his recollection of the night's events. Curious, Shulk squeezes his way through the press of other people to get a better look at what's going on.

He sees a boy about his age with a shock of red hair being held back by one of the adults.

"Let me go! I have to go back! My mum and dad are still out there!" The boy struggles and kicks at the adult, to no avail. "I have to!"

"Don't be stupid! You stay here, where it's safe and-" The adult's words are cut off by an abrupt, "Argh!" when the boy bites him in the arm. The boy doesn't waste his chance at freedom and immediately takes off in the direction of the entrance to the shelter, the only exit there is. The adult yells, "Stop him!"

Shulk sees some of the other adults roused from their places, but the other boy is easily dodges around them.

_"You'll be nice and safe here. I can't have anything happen to you now, can I?"_

Wouldn't this boy's parents be happier knowing their son was safe, rather than have him running around outside, where there's Mechon out there to hurt him? Shulk's gaze goes to the exit before immediately running to it to beat the other boy to it. Shulk's fast enough on his feet to cut in front while the other boy is busy dodging adults.

What can he do to stop the other boy, though? Shulk doesn't know.

Nevertheless, as the boy approaches at a headlong rush, Shulk stretches out his arms - causing his blanket from Mefimefi to slide off his shoulders - and stands in the boy's path. The boy's bigger than him, but Shulk lifts his chin and faces him anyway. Fortunately, the boy slows down. Unfortunately, he just tries to shove Shulk aside. "Get outta my way!"

Even though Shulk had braced himself for the shove, he still stumbles, but stubbornly stays put. Shaking his head, he says, "It's safer here."

The other boy grabs Shulk's shirt and pulls, yelling, "I don't care! My mum and dad are out there! So, move!"

Out of reflex, Shulk grabs on to the other boy's shirt too, making them both stumble. "Don't be stupid!"

"What did you say!?"

He's barefoot and dressed in his pyjamas, not intimidating at all. Nevertheless, Shulk raises his head in determination to stop this other boy from leaving. "Stupid! You're being stupid! Your head's big and dumb like the rest of you!"

"Argh! I'll get you!" With a roar of anger, the other boy pulls Shulk sharply to the side, sending both of them tumbling. What follows is a whirl of fists and and kicks and rolling around as they try to get the upper hand over each other. Though the other boy is definitely bigger and stronger than him, Shulk isn't above poking eyes, jabbing ribs and biting, anything to even the odds against his sturdier opponent.

"Hey! Break it up, boys!"

Stronger hands pull the pair away from each other. While Shulk is immediately compliant - the aches and pains of his new bruises are a great deterrent - the other boy struggles in the grip of a man Shulk doesn't recognise, glaring at Shulk. He doesn't look any worse off despite a more disheveled appearance, save for the red welts on his arms where Shulk had bitten him.

The voice behind him is gruff, no-nonsense, "Now, are you two going to sit still, or will we need to lock you in a room?"

Shulk nods, and the firm grip on his arm is removed. But...

"No! I'm going back for mum and dad!" But no matter how hard the other boy pulls, kicks, and bites, there's no getting away, the opportunity for escape lost. Shulk watches mixed feelings play across the redhead's face - anger, desperation, before sullenness- before the other boy grinds out an angry 'tch', "Fine. Have it your way."

When the other boy is released, he immediately makes a break for the exit again. Unfortunately for him, this time he's quickly grabbed by the woman who had held Shulk - Shulk recognises her as one of the butchers - and hauled off, hollering every step of the way.

Shulk breathes a sigh of relief, before crouching to pick up his blanket and wrap it back around himself. He ends up watching the butcher drag the other boy into one of the many rooms in the shelter. Once the boy is inside, the butcher slams shut the reinforced metal door - "Once you're ready to behave yourself, we'll let you out" - and locks it, pocketing the key and walking away to talk with the other people who had tried to stop the other boy. Without anyone to stop him, Shulk sneaks up to the metal door. It looks solid to him, but there's a small open window near the top of it. But it's far too high for him to reach without assistance, and there are bars across it. Shulk quietly raps on the door instead. "Are you alright?"

There's a pause from the other side, before, sharply, "What do _you_ want?"

Shulk momentarily shrinks back from the door, before he says, "I want to keep you company." There's silence from the other side, and Shulk takes it as an invitation to keep talking. He sits down, leaning against the cool metal of the door. "Sorry. About calling you stupid earlier." Considering how loud the other boy had been earlier, the silence is strange. But Shulk continues, not knowing what else to do. "I'm Shulk."

A long moment of silence passes between them before the other boy responds. "Reyn."

Shulk hears a heavy thunk as the door shudders under him, probably Reyn slumping against the door. Drawing his knees close to his chest, Shulk stays silent.

"My parents are soldiers," Reyn abruptly begins. "I get they have to fight to defend the colony 'n' all." The volume in his voice rises. "But I wanna be out there, fighting with 'em!"

Shulk can't say he understands wanting to fight with the adults; he's well aware he isn't strong enough to do so. If he's quite honest, he wishes he was back in bed, sleeping. He can empathise with Reyn's worry, though. "Dickson's fighting, too."

"Who's Dickson?"

Good question. Though Dickson has been raising him ever since he got here, it just seems... _weird_ to call him dad. He still has faint memories of his mother and father, though trying to remember what they were like is like trying to hold water in a sieve. Shulk settles for, "I live with him."

"Oh, so like family?"

Shulk nods, even though Reyn can't see it from the other side of the metal door. "Yeah, kinda."

Hearing the shuffling of Reyn getting to his feet, he blinks when Reyn's next words are lined with determination as he declares, "One day, I'll be strong enough to fight with 'em. I'll do my folks proud!"

"You're already pretty strong. I mean," Shulk rubs his arms, where there's a solid bruise, and says a little ruefully, "your punches really hurt." Smiling, he continues, "I'm sure you can do it!"

There's a long pause, before Reyn laughs. "You're alright."

As they wait, they continue to talk. Shulk hears Reyn almost constantly moving around on the other side of the door, to the point he thinks Reyn is allergic to staying still. Reyn alternates between tales of his parents - Shulk isn't sure if he believes they wrestled giant caterpiles into submission - and things he wants to do when he's older. In exchange, Shulk tells him about the things he's seen in the Defence Force once Reyn got over his surprise that Shulk practically lives in the Military District where the Defence Force operated. To Shulk's disappointment, like Fiora, Reyn didn't seem to have much interest in his mechanical discoveries; his talk about the mechanics behind ether guns was met with an exaggerated snore.

As the pair talk, their attention is drawn away from their worries. In their distraction, they forget that Colony 9 is under attack.

When the Mechon assault is over, Dickson, Dunban and Fiora come back alive.

Reyn's parents don't.

* * *

**Canon Notes:** In the pink Heart-to-Heart between Dunban and Sharla, _Revisiting the Past_, Dunban talks about a Mechon attack on Colony 9 twelve years ago, during which he and Fiora weren't able to make it to the shelter in time, so they fled to Rho Oasis on Guar Plains. Interestingly, the (fantranslated) official side story released in _Monad: the Secret Files_, seems to contradict the information given in this Heart-to-Heart; in the side story, Mechon never made it to Colony 9 (the furthest the Mechon got was Guar Plains) until the events of _Xenoblade_ occur. There are also Defence Force soldiers in the game who say Colony 9 is generally untouched by the Mechon due to the anti-air batteries, which makes Colony 9 more defensible than Colony 6, but whether that's fact or Defence Force pride is unclear. There's some hints that the anti-air batteries and the spire over the Central Plaza aren't Homs made in NPC dialogues immediately after the Mechon attack on Colony 9.

However, game canon has some faults with regards to the Mechon attack 12 years ago; the door to Guar Plains (via the Bionis' Knee) from the Mag Mell Ruins in Tephra Cave seals itself in the presence of Mechon, which would have made it difficult for Dunban and Fiora to have made their escape to Rho Oasis. Unless there's some other way to Guar Plains not shown to us, the door would've been sealed, as the High Entia technology that powers the ruins is able to detect Mechon at quite a distance, as evidenced by how the door was sealed long before the Mechon's arrival, when Fiora, Reyn and Shulk were in Tephra cave.

In the pink Heart-to-Heart between Reyn and Riki, _Journey's End_, Reyn says he lost his mum and dad "ages ago."

I also found out there's an NPC in Colony 9 (on the bridge between the Commercial District and Main Plaza during the day before the Mechon attack) who says, "Shulk, Reyn, make sure you two take good care of Fiora. Don't forget, you only know Dunban because of Fiora." Given this, Fiora, Reyn and Shulk probably met in school first. But since I've kind of already written three chapters that directly contradict this bit of canon, for this story, let's just pretend this dialogue doesn't exist, okay? :)


End file.
